I Was Cheated on by My Girlfriend but My Devilish Junior Now Yearns for Me - Chapter 31

Chapter 31   Valentines Party 2

“Your entry has been confirmed. Please proceed inside.”

As we were handed our tickets and led into the venue, it was a spacious hall that could easily hold around 100 people. With only about 40 people present, it felt quite roomy. The venue, located on one floor of a high-rise building, offered a panoramic view of the nighttime cityscape. The luxury of the place, combined with its affordable price, explained its popularity among students.

“Wow, this place is nicer than I expected. I wasn’t really counting on the venue being this good,” Ayaka said.

“Yeah, I figured a place like this would usually cost you around 7,000 yen just for the entry fee.”

As I expressed my amazement, Ayaka gave me a skeptical look.

“What are you talking about? Of course it costs that much. It’s a pay-as-you-order for drinks too.”

“Wait, we have to pay for drinks on top of everything else!?”

“You’re too loud!”

Once again, she smacked the back of my head. As I rubbed my now-throbbing scalp, I spotted someone familiar across the room—it was Natsuki, the one who had invited me to the party.

I was about to call out to her, but she seemed engrossed in conversation with a guy standing next to her. I recognized him as well.

“Ayaka, the guy next to Natsuki…”

“Ugh.”

Ayaka grimaced deeply.

The guy standing next to Natsuki was none other than Yuudou Motosaka. He was the same guy who, during the Christmas group date, had made a bunch of sleazy remarks toward Ayaka and the other girls, only to get shot down by Shinohara, who had barged in uninvited. Despite Ayaka being the organizer of that event, it had ended disastrously, likely leaving her with bitter memories.

“What’s he doing here? And since when was he friends with Natsuki? Sure, they’re from the same university, but why is he hanging out with her?”

“How should I know? Ugh, I hate this already.”

“Well, at least you only have to talk to the girls, right?”

“You could just put on your usual sweet act and breeze through this, no problem,” I retorted.

“What did you just—?”

Just as Ayaka was about to respond, a voice echoed across the hall.

The lights dimmed, and a spotlight focused on a man standing in the front.

“Thank you all for coming today. I’m Tsuda, the host of this Valentine’s Party,” the man introduced himself.

He looked young, almost like a student. While Ayaka gazed at him with a bored expression, many others around us seemed to be paying close attention, some even looking excited.

“Now, quick question—has anyone already received chocolate today?”

As Tsuda raised his hand, a few people scattered around the room did the same. Motosaka raised his hand proudly.

Ayaka tapped my shoulder, so I leaned in to hear what she had to say.

“Did you get any chocolate?”

“I haven’t, and I doubt I’ll be getting any either.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? You better count mine too!”

Even so, in terms of scarcity, Ayaka’s chocolate might be the least exclusive in the entire venue. While there are others who made multiple chocolates, no one else seems to have brought as much as Ayaka, whose paper bag is practically overflowing.

“Hope your scattershot hits the mark.”

“Don’t call it a scattershot. It’s a fully loaded cannon.”

“A cannon can’t fire in rapid succession like that.”

“My reload speed is just on another level.”

Ayaka boasted confidently. I was about to retort when we were interrupted by a voice.

“Aya-chan!”

It was Natsuki, and behind her was Motosaka.

“Aya-chan! I’m so glad you came! Let’s have fun tonight!”

“Natsuki~! I was feeling so anxious about coming here alone, but your invitation gave me the perfect excuse to come!”

I couldn’t help but be amazed at how quickly Ayaka switched gears, now cheerfully chatting with Natsuki. I wondered how Natsuki would react if I told her we were just talking about scattershots and cannons moments ago.

Motosaka seemed to have noticed Ayaka as well and, with heightened enthusiasm, chimed in.

“Aya-chan! Long time no see! I’m so glad I came! So, does that mean I might be getting some of your chocolate too?”

“Long time no see, Motosaka-kun! Yeah, I made way too much, so of course I’ll give you some. I brought extra so I could give it to everyone I pair up with!”

I quietly distanced myself from Ayaka. She might get mad at me later, but I figured it was better than staying in that awkward situation.

Thankfully, the room was dimly lit except for the area where the host was standing, so I could slip away without being noticed.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please take a look at your tickets! You’ll see a number on them, right?” announced the host.

Following the host’s instructions, I pulled out my ticket from my pocket. It was hard to see, but in large numbers, I could make out the number “31.”

“Each participant has been assigned a number. We’ll use these numbers to randomly pair you up. Every ten minutes, we’ll post the pairs at the front, so please check when we make the announcement. Also, there’s a one-drink coupon attached to your ticket, so feel free to detach that and redeem it at the counter!”

From matching the gender ratio to assigning random numbers, this event left a lot up to the participants. While the host had at least shone a spotlight on the handmade chart up front, it still felt like a bare-minimum effort.

When I finally found my number on the chart, I saw that I was paired with number 14. As I glanced around, others were already calling out their partner’s numbers, like “Is there a number 40 around here?” while walking around the dim venue.

Feeling a growing sense of dread at having to find my partner in this dark room, I reluctantly followed suit and began calling out for number 14.

After about thirty seconds of calling out “Is anyone number 14?” I finally heard a response.

“Yes, I’m number 14.”

The voice was familiar.

As I approached the voice’s source, I realized it was Natsuki, who had just been chatting with Ayaka.

“Oh, it’s you, Natsuki.”

“Oh, it’s Yuuta. What do you know, we’re acquaintances!”

Natsuki responded with a bored expression.

“You’re rude.”

“You’re the one who said something first.”

“Oh, right. Sorry, sorry.”

When I apologized sincerely, Natsuki smiled, saying not to worry about it. It was a charming smile, and I thought to myself that she fit right in with the kind of people in her club.

“Anyway, let’s just chat for now. Thanks for coming today.”

“Thanks? Wait, are you one of the organizers?”

I had heard that some of the participants were mixed in with the organizing team. But Natsuki shook her head.

“Nope. I’m friends with someone on the organizing team, so I got a few extra spots to invite friends.”

“Ah, so that’s why you invited me.”

“Exactly!”

“Hmm. But why me?”

Natsuki could’ve invited plenty of other friends. In fact, when she invited me, we’d only met twice before. Although we had good conversations both times, it still felt a bit curious.

“Why, you ask? Well, you’ll figure it out eventually.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

I smiled awkwardly at her vague response. Natsuki wasn’t going to explain further, so I figured there was no point in pressing the issue. Still curious, I decided to change the subject.

“So, what happens with the pairings if someone doesn’t show up? Do people just end up without partners?”

Natsuki answered, though she didn’t seem particularly interested.

“The organizers handle the pairings on the spot. It seems like they require everyone to have a partner to ensure the number of guys and girls stays balanced, even if someone cancels.”

“I see. It’s probably a hassle for the participants, but I guess it saves the organizers some trouble.”

After that, we passed the time chatting about manga we both liked. Having common ground made conversations in situations like this a lot easier.

The conversation was enjoyable, but I still couldn’t shake a subtle sense of unease. Just as I started to think about what might be bothering me, the organizer announced it was time for a partner change.

At some point, a box had been placed on the long table at the front, with numbers assigned to each participant. Judging by how the women were acting, it seemed like they would place their chocolates inside the box.

“Well, I’m kind of glad I was paired with you first, Yuuta. I think it helped me relax.”

“Same here. Thanks.”

Keeping her gaze steady, Natsuki seemed to notice that I had been eyeing the box where the chocolates were being placed. She added apologetically, “Sorry, I can’t give you any chocolate. If I give it to someone I already know, it kind of defeats the purpose of coming here today.”

I wasn’t expecting any chocolate to begin with, so I just waved it off with a laugh.

“It’s fine. If someone only made a few, it makes sense. The real oddball here is Ayaka, making so many.”

With that, we both looked around for Ayaka. She was still chatting with a guy in round glasses. To an outsider, it probably looked like things were going well, but knowing that her smile wasn’t genuine, I couldn’t help but sigh.

I wondered if Ayaka would ever find the boyfriend she wanted if she kept putting on a front like this with strangers. If she didn’t want to attract people who only cared about appearances, she would have to open up more, reveal her true self.

“Aren’t you and Ayaka ever going to date?”

“Not this again. No, we’re not.”

“But you’ve been close for a long time, right?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Had I ever told Natsuki that Ayaka and I had known each other for a long time? As I was pondering that she must have heard it from Ayaka. Natsuki, reading my thoughts, clarified.

“Ayaka didn’t tell me.”

With that, Natsuki walked away, leaving me with a strange, uneasy feeling in my chest.